Telling It As It Is

Vanilla Bean Macarons with Bailey’s & Coffee Buttercream

Morning world! I was up pretty early today, with my mind constantly whirring about my coughawfulcough thesis writing and some exciting macaron ideas. I haven’t gotten round to making any macs lately owing to a month-long trip back to Singapore and keeping up with the mundane things-we-have-to-do sice we returned. I have been dying to put some action into egg whites. Not sure if I can get round to making some today (new flavours coming up!), but I shall quieten my overactive mind with a little post on some macarons that I made back in July this year.

So, I’m not a big coffee drinker. In fact, I can’t take any beverages that have coffee in it. Shame, isn’t it? I could never understand how it feels when people say ‘Oh gosh, this coffee is soooooo good’, or when they quip, ‘I could do with a coffee right now’. I can’t fathom what it feels like to be addicted to coffee, to be reliant on and appreciative of it, and quite frankly, I feel…..left out.

BUT nature has its ways. It’s all about balance, homeostasis (sorry couldn’t help but bring this biological term up, been repeating it a couple of times in my now 120-page strong thesis). And I have been made to love coffee-ish desserts even though I can’t drink coffee.

Drinking coffee makes me want to lie down. For those of you who have witnessed a rather red-faced me (no I wasn’t angry, I just lack alchohol dehydrogenase) feeling faint after a teeny tiny bit of alchohol, drinking coffee kills me. Quite embarrassingly so, it messes with my head far worse than alcohol, it gives me such a nauseating headache, that once after a coffee initiation by my aunt in the form of Starbucks mocha, I quickly apologised to her and said ‘Sorry aunt, I really have to go home right now’. I never took another sip of coffee since. But it’s really okay, because I still am able to enjoy tiramisu, coffee ice-cream, coffee cake, coffee bread, coffee ribs. I suppose I may be regrettably aversive to only liquid coffee.

One day in July, I was craving for coffee something. I wanted to be surrounded by the nutty aroma that we can only get with coffee. Tiramisu seemed much too heavy, and I would just end up making too much for the two of us. I didn’t think I wanted to have a slice of coffee cake every day for the rest of the week. And so, I decided to make something that was manageable in small numbers, something that I have been addicted to making and eating for the last couple of months. Vanilla Bean Macaron with Bailey’s & Coffee Buttercream was it. Let’s just say they were yum, atrociously good with liquid coffee (or so the husband says). I was inspired by salted butter caramel and added a tiny bit of salt to the buttercream filling so it cuts the sweetness and brings out the flavour of Bailey’s. So…yay! Coffee for me!

4. To the egg white mixture, fold in dry ingredients from Step 2 in 1/3 portions to combine. Then fold in the mixture more vigorously. Test the consistency from time to time by lifting a generous dollop of macaron paste and dropping it into the mixing bowl. If the macaron paste does not settle smoothly after 30 seconds, continue folding the paste. If the macaron paste smooths out too quickly, you’ve gone too far.

5. Pipe out the shells onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle a little cocoa powder on the shells and leave them to rest for 25 minutes before baking.

6. When a crust is formed, turn temperature on oven down to 140 degrees Celsius and bake for 15 minutes, turning the tray halfway through baking.

7. Cool parchment of baked shells on cooling rack. Unmould when the shells are completely cool.

I have the same reactions to coffee too! In fact, I’m so lame, I cannot take anything with caffeine after a certain hour (i.e. after 2pm) or else I’d be kept awake the ENTIRE night. This includes tea (english, chinese and even Japanese tea) as well. I only drink coffee when I’m *really* tired, i.e. only slept for less than 4 hours on a weekday. Otherwise, I’d be on a caffeine-high with heart palpitations and feeling slightly disoriented.

possibly! i’ve stuck to this timing and temperature for so many attempts, and they work very well with my oven etc, so i was very reluctant to change it. i think i will try a small batch out during my next attempt with your timings and temperature! thanks for the suggestion =)

omg ur macaroons look sooo perfect!!
i been wanting to try making these babies for ages, but im all too a bit scare! and i dun have a kitchen scale, feel like if i cant measure all my ingredients properly, it will just end up to be a disaster!

Hi kwanster, thank you! Ooh, get a scale soon and try making them, it’s not that scary, I promise. I used to work on estimation with a lousy scale that measured a minimum of 25g per unit, and still managed to get the macarons to work. I’ve now invested in a digital scale that can measure a minimum of 1g, and I think it’s worth it! Cost me only £10.

Just for let you know, I’m using wilton white colour for making my vanilla macarons whiter.. Its really works! I only used about 1 teaspoon to my batter, and they turn out great.. And, don’t let it dry on oven too long.. It will change their color.. Hope its helping you..
Regards, Ivan (Indonesia).. :D